Automatic egg fryer



March 2, 1954 w Ts L 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 2 JAMES L. w ITSEL (It tomeg March 2, 1954 J. L. WHITSEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 attorney J. L. WHITSEL AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER March 2, 1954 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 20, 1949 3nventor JAMES L w ITSEL Gttomeg Mmh 2, 1954 J. L. wHlTsEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 F2 92 H9! I 94 55 52 5O Bnvenfor JAMES 'L. WHITSEL attorneg March 2, 1-954 J. WHITSEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug 20, 1949 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 y INVENTOR.

JAMES L. WHITSEL ATTORNEY Fig. 6

March 1954 J. L. WHITSEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYEIR Filed Aug. 20, 1949 v 15 Sheets-Sheet 6 P ii F lg. 44 370 398 305' 398 Q/ I 388 in 307 3:2 9 @3I2 36 i b, 357 TIMER 508 o 46 369 5a 3 7 5383 "was iii an .3 O I I66 0 D 7 365 3 2 1 sss z 366 O 3 373 380 g Fig. 45

F ig. 7

IN V EN T 0R.

JAMES L. W ITSEL ATTORNEY March 2, 1954 J. WHITSEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 v INVENTOR. JAMES L. WHITSEL ATTORNEY March 2, 1954 J. L. WHITSEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15511eets-Shee't 8 3nventor JAMES L. WHITSEL attorney March 2, 1954 J. L. WHlTSEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 She-ts-Sheet 9 INVENTOR. JAMES L. WHITSEL ATTORNEY .March 2, 1954 J. L. WHITSEL 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 Sheets-Sheet 1o Zmventqr I JAMES L. WH|T SEL Fig- I? I' Gttorneg March 2, 1954 w rrs I 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 Sh'ets-Sheet l1 Fig. I8

Fig. I9

Ihmentor JAMES, L. WHITSEL Mam}! 1954 J. L. WHITSEL ,670,6

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 15 Sheets -Sheet l3 274 v with if 3,2

385' Fig. 48

INVENTOR.

P JAMES L. WHITSEL ATTORNEY March 2, 1954 w|- s 2,670,674

AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER Filed Aug. 20, 1949 i5 Sheets-Sheet 15 Zhmentor JAMES L. WHITSEL (Ittorneg Patented Mar. 2, 1.954

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC EGG FRYER James 'L. Whitsel, near Williamsburg, Pa. Application August 20, 1949, Serial No. 111,455

.12 Claims.

This invention relates to cooking apparatus and more particularlyto such cooking apparatus as used in the automatic frying of eggs, having as an object an improvedmechanical organization automatically operable to selectively and individually prepare eggs from a conventional container for consumption, in response to manually charged option indications.

A further object of this invention is to-provide an improved egg-frying machine automatically operable to effect the movement of eggs from a conventional container through the stages of breaking, cooking, and delivery in reaction to manually chargedQption indications.

A further object of this invention is toprovide, inanautomatic egg-frying machine, improved means for receiving-acharge of eggs contained withinaconventional container, and automatic means for selectivelyand individually removing eggsfrom said container.

.A further object. of this invention is to; provide automatic means forselectivelypreparing single or multiple cooked egg orders.

furtherobject of this invention is to provide improved automatic means formovingeggs to cooking instrumentalities, thereupon breaking eggs and disposing of the shells.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved automatic means for the cooking and simultaneous basting of eggs.

A further object of this invention. is to provide improved means in operative correlation with an automatic egg-frying machine automatically effective to transport and plate-deliver completed egg orders produced by the-said machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for the accommodation and automatic supply of :serving plates inoperative correlation with the delivery of cooked egg orders from an automatic egg-frying machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved egg-frying-machine that is operatively fully automatic in reaction to selective, manually imposed,v option-indications, rapid in the completion and successivedel-ivery of egg orders, free from onerous servicing and maintenance requirements,compactand of small size in relation to its output capacity, susceptible of construction in size and capacity variations, suited to all practical requirements, adaptable to coin controlas an automatic vendingdevice, positive and efficient in attainment ofthe ends-for which designed, and durablethroughout a long lifeof actual use. v

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

2 my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a typical association of elements operable in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the association of elements shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, that portion of Figure l to the left of line 33 indicated thereon, with sections of covering elements .-removed to show otherwise concealed relationships.

Figure 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, that portion of Figure 1 to the right of line 3-?3 indicated thereon.

Figure 5 shows, on an enlarged scale, that portion of Figure 2 to the left of line 5-5 indicated thereon.

Figure 6 shows, on an enlarged .sca1e,-that portion of Figure 2 between lines 5-5 and 6- 6 indicated thereon, with sections of covering elements removed toshow otherwise concealed relationships.

Figure 7 shows, on an enlarged scale, that portion of Figure 2 to the right of line 6-6, indicated thereon, with sections of elements removed to show otherwise concealed construction.

Figure -8 is a detailsection taken on theindicated line 88 of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a detail section taken on theindicated line 9--9 of Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail sectiontaken substantially on the indicated line i 9-H! of Fig ure 5, broken lines in the view denoting alternative positions of relatively movable elements.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the indicated line i-l--l I of Figure 5.

Figure 12.shows, on an enlarged scale, .afragmentary detail section taken on the indicated line 12-12 of Figure 5.

Figure 13 shows, on an enlarged scale, elements including a selector chamber as taken on the indicated line |.3l 3 of Figure 6.

Figure 14 is a detail section taken on theindicated line |4--I 4 of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a bottom view of the selector chamberasviewed from the indicated line l5. |5.of Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a fragmentary. portion of the .ele ments illustrated at Figure 14, on an enlarged scale, dotted lines indicating alternative position of, elements therein illustrated.

Figure 17 is a fragmentary, detail, plan view of ratchet means as viewed from the indicated line l'|i'| of Figure 14.

Figure 18 is a side elevation view, on an enlarged scale, of carrier means as illustrated at Figure 6 with portions of covering elements removed to show otherwise concealed relationships.

Figure 19 is a left end elevation view, referred to Figure 18, of the carrier means as illustrated at Figure 18.

Figure 20 is a fragmentary detail section taken .on the indicated line 23-28 of Figure 19.

Figure 21 is a sectional elevation view as taken on the indicated line 2l-2i of Figure 18, the broken lines showing alternate positions of eggbreaking means.

Figure 22 shows certain of the elements illustrated in Figure 18 at right angles to said latter view and in operative position for opening and depositing the contents of an egg.

Figure 23 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the indicated line 2323 of Figure 18, broken lines in the view denoting alternative positions of relatively movable elements.

Figure 24 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the indicated line 24-44 of Figure 19.

Figure 25 shows certain of the elements illustrated in Figure 18 at an alternative operating stage, broken lines in the view denoting alternative operative positions of relatively movable elements.

Figure 26 shows a lower fragment of the carrier means illustrated in Figure 18 as operativeiy associated with elements illustrated in Figure 6, broken lines in the View denoting alternative positions of the movable elements.

Figure 27 is a side elevation of the elements illustrated in Figure 26 as viewed from the indicated line 212l' of Figure 26, broken lines indicating the relative position of elements illustrated in Figure 26.

Figure 28 is a development of the surface of a cylindrical cam illustrated in Figure 6, a portion of. the surface being broken away to conserve space.

Figure 29 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 29-2t of Figure 6.

Figure 30 is a bottom View of the driving elements illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 31 is a section view taken on the indicated line 3 l3l of Figure 30.

Figure 32 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 32-32 of Figure 6.

Figure 33 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 3333 of Figure 6.

Figure 34 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 3 l 34 of Figure 6.

Figure 35 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 35;-35 of Figure 6.

Figure 36 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 3B-36 of Figure 6.

Figure 37 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 313? of Figure 36.

Figure 38 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 3833 of Figure 36, illustrating electrical heating elements therein.

.Figure 39 is a View similar to Figure 38 illustrating, as an alternative embodiment, gas heating elements.

Figure 40 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 49 lfl of Figure 36, illustrating mechanisms for the actuation .of plate stack lifting means.

Figure 41 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 4l ll of Figure 4.

Figure 42 is a fragmentary detail, on an en- 4. larged scale, of plate stack lifting elements illustrated in Figure 41.

Figure 43 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line l3d3 of Figure 42.

Figure 44 is a fragmentary elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the right-hand end of the machine shown in Figure 1, illustrating an arrangement of selective actuating controls.

Figure 45 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view of selective indicating means, as taken on the indicated line 45- 35 of Figure 7.

Figure 46 is a fragmentary, detail section taken on the indicated line 4646 of Figure '7.

Figure 47 is a fragmentary, detail section, on an enlarged scale, illustrating shiftable control elements as viewed from the indicated line 41- 41 of Figure 45, and showing the elements in alternative operative relation.

Figure 48 is a conventionalized diagram of the circuits and electrical facilities employed to effect the controls and automatic operative reactions inherent in the apparatus.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a conventional half-crate containing fifteen dozen eggs is used as a charge, and it is contemplated that the eggs are packed in conventional manner in half-crate or full crate boxes with each half-crate of eggs being divided into five layers by the usual square, indented, separator plates 5!! and with the three dozen eggs in each layer further separated and confined into individual compartments, six square, by the usual paper grilles 5!. In preparation of the charge, the crate box is removed from the eggs by cutting or tearing the same away in such a manner as not to disturb the egg layers formed by the separator plates, the desirable position of the eggs being such that the separator plates lie horizontal, forming an egg stack. A receptacle 52, in the form of a cubical shell with opposing ends open and of such size as to conformably receive the egg stack, is then placed over the egg stack to confine the eggs therein by slidably and frictionally holding and positioning the separator plates 55], movement of the eggs into and through the open ends of the receptacle 52 being normal to the plane of the separator plates.

The charged receptacle 52 is placed on a table 53, comprising the supporting base of the eggfrying machine, in fixed operative relation with other elements later to be described, and is held thereon by means of lugs 5d and the uprights 55 of a bent hereinafter further described, the receptaele 52 being oriented to dispose the separator plates 59 in vertical planes with the large ends of the eggs leading in the direction of their subsequent movement. Movement of the eggs through and from the receptacle 52 is effected by a platen 56, slidable interiorly of the receptacle 62 in parallel bearing engagement against the exposed separator plate 5!; trailing in the direction of desired egg charge travel, said platen being provided with web-reinforced guide arms '5'! extended perpendicular thereto to clear the receptacle 52 and slidably engaged and aligned in guide slots in the table 53; the central guide arm 57 mounting a fixedly and perpendicularly related finger 58 extending through its guide slot to reactive engagement with a cam 59. A ring 60 is also provided on the central guide arm of the platen as a means for manually lifting the finger 53 from its engagement with the cam 59 to facilitate removal of the platen from the receptacle, as when an egg charge is exhausted, and to per- 'mit resetting of the finger relative to the earn, as when the platen is readjusted to accommodate a new egg charge. The cam 59 has the form of a grooved cylinder 'coaxially fixed on a shaft 6| journaled for rotation in spaced parallelism with and beneath the table 53 for intermittent actuation through means later to be explained; the grooved path of the cam being arranged in five stages to progressively shift the platen through the receptacle 52 a distance of one egg layer thickness at a time thereby feeding the egg charge into the machine layer by layer.

The movement of the egg charge through the receptacle first clears the leading separator plate 50 from the confining walls of the receptacle, whereupon the late falls and is discharged from the machine by chute 62. The exposed leading egg layer is then extended from the receptacle into a rectangular carriage 63 registrable with the delivery end thereof in correlation with the intermittent shift of the egg charge deriving from rotation of the cam 59, the aperture of the carriage being of such form and dimensions as to receive and slidably accommodate the egg layer comprising the paper grilles i and individual eggs therein. Inner wall faces of the carriage B3 are conveniently provided with grooves 64 susceptible of alignment and supporting engagement with the projecting edges of the grille 5!, such grooves being preferably flared at their ends adjacent to the receptacle 52 to facilitate entrance of the grille edges therein. Any paper grille retained in the carriage 63 from a preceding egg layer will be ejected from the carriage 63 by movement of another egg layer thereinto, the ejected material falling onto the table 53, whence it may be readily cleared. The carriage 83 is in the form of a square frame of depth corresponding with that of an egg layer, and is mounted for altitudinal and lateral adjustment in a vertical plane parallel with the egg layers in the receptacle 52, to which end said frame is slidably suspended from a horizontal cross arm 65 by means of fingers 66 engaging in a groove 6? of the cross arm. The cross arm 65 is slidably mounted on vertical standards 68 through the agency of heads 89 at the ends of the cross arm, such heads being of lengths suitable to prevent torsional binding of the cross arm on the standards. The horizontal cross arm is disposed in a plane parallel with the egg layers in the receptable, to permit the carriage E3 to be horizontally adjustable thereon and altitudinally adjustable therewith in such plane to successively position individual eggs of the grille within the carriage in line with a pusher 10 which is operable to progressively remove the eggs from the grille and transfer them into a selector chamber H for processing as will be later described.

The eggs in the conventionally-charged grille within the carriage B3 are thereby positioned in six horizontal rows and six vertical columns, and are successively availed of by columns, the carriage being progressively shifted horizontally to register a column with the pusher m and then intermittently advanced vertically to register the individual eggs of the column with said pusher. Both the horizontal and vertical movements of the carriage derive from cams attached to feeder shaft 72 which is suitably journaled on the bent 55 in symmetrical relation between the vertical standards 58 and sufficiently above the carriage to provide operative clearance. The feeder shaft 12 is intermittently operable in correlation with certain other mechanisms and alternatively synchronou'sl y responsive to actuation of the cam 59' arid other elements on shaft 61 all 'a'slater to be described.

A rack bar 13 is horizontally and slid'ably mounted in guides 14 beneath the table 53 for reciprocation in parallel with the plane of movement of the carriage, and said rack bar is formed with a suitably-disposed head 15 which slid'ably receives a finger 15 fixed to and depending vertically from the carriage 63 through a suitable slot in the table 53 whereby movementfof the rack bar effects corresponding horizontal movement of the carriage in all of its vertical positions. Shift of the rack bar 13 to position the egg, cop umns in the carriage in line with the pusher 10 is had through a detent Tl hinged to one arm of a bell-crank l8 operatively paralleling the rack bar and mounted upon the table 53; the detent and bell-crank. being normally and resiliently positioned by springs 19 and to hold the detent extended toward the receptacle 52 with its hooked free end against th rack bar 13, whereby retrac tion of the detent consequent upon oscillation of the bell-crank effects engagement of the detent end hook with a tooth in the rack bar. Such oscillation of the bell-crank is effected by a cam 8| mounted on the feeder shaft 12, the cam compris ing two legs 180 degrees apart which function to alternately depress therod 82 conhectedto one arm of the bell-crank 78 during shaft 12 rotation, the travel of the detent 1! being regulated by the amount the rod 82 is depressed; The travel of the detent T! is somewhatgreater than the resulting movement of the rack 13 because the hooked free end of the detent is not engaged with the teeth of the rack with the detent in its extended position, and an initial movement of the detent is necessary to permit such engagement. Such initial movement or slack is necessary as a compensating factor because the horizontal movement of the carriage from its position of registration with the receptacl to registration of the first egg column with the pusher is of a slightly greater distance than subsequent horizontal movements of the carriage from position of registration of one egg column with the pusher to such registration of the adjacent column;

A cam 83 is mounted on the shaft 12 to engage a roller follower 84 attached to the cross arm 65 therebelow, whereby rotation of the cam 83 imparts a vertical oscillation of the cross arm 65 and the carriage attached thereto, forthe cross arm is resiliently held upwards with the follower 8]! against the cam 83 by compression springs 85 surrounding the standards 68 below the heads 59. The cam 83 is proportioned to raise and lower the carriage 63 sufficiently to register all eggs in a column with the pusher ill, anda complete revolution of the cam establishes two cycles, one of lowering and one of raising, which conveniently accommodate two columns of eggs. It follows that with six eggs in each column, a 30-degree rotation of the cam 83 may be allotted to the registration of each egg with and for removal by the pusher Hi; accordingly, the intermittent rotation of the shaft 72 hereinbefore referred to is in ISO-degree increments as accomplished in a manner hereinafter described. Each 30-degree increment of cam 83 rotation is separated into' two phases of action, a phase of moving the carriage into position for registration of an egg with the pusher, and a phase of holding such position while the egg is being removed therefrom. These phases are conveniently represented by 15-de'gr'ee ar'cs,,w ith corresponding segments fcr'md orith cam, the segments dfir'abl' to s'hift'the' carriage 7 altitudinally being each of varying radius, and the segments operable to hold the carriage being each of constant radius. At the extremities of altitudinal movement of the carriage and upon removal of the last egg from a column, the cam does not altitudinally shift the carriage, but the operating radius thereof remains constant, and

in this interval of cam 83 travel the camfll acts to depress the rod 82 to shift the carriage horizontally for alignment of another egg column with-the pusher H! as hereinbefore explained, this movement occurring in a ldegree" rotation of shaft 72. Following such horizontal shift, an egg in the so-aligned column is in registration with the pusher whereupon it may be removed from the carriage, during a further lS-degree rotation of the shaft I2, and altitudinal shifting of the carriage may then proceed to successive registration and discharge of the eggs remaining in the column. The horizontal shifting of the carriage thus occurs alternately at the top'and bottom of consecutive egg columns at each 180 degree rotation of the shaft 12, the arms of the cam 8| being correlated with cam 83 to effect such horizontal shift at each extreme of the carriage altitudinal travel.

The two uprights of the bent 55 spacedly adjacent the receptacle 52 are joined by a sill, 86, parallel with the shaft 12 but offset horizontally therefrom to provide clearance for an actuator cam 8'! mounted upon said shaft i2 between the uprights. This cam 81 is cylindrically formed with the cylindrical surface at one of its ends worked to define regularly spaced lobes 88 directed away from the carriage 63, and preferably each of 15-degree arc in a -degree arc interval with fiat sections therebetween. These lobes oscillate the follower 891' to intermittently extend the pusher T0, engaged therewith, toward and through the carriage in alternating correlation with the cams 8! and 83, the reaction interval of the pusher being during that phase of cam action when the carriage is motionless, as when the fol-' lower 84 is on a constant radius segment of cam 83. form a rocker arm'in a vertical plane normal-to the plane of movement of the carriage 63, the upper portion of the arm being extended and offset to contact of its free end with the lobed face of the cylindrical cam 81 and being resiliently held thereagainst by: a compression springBil, and the lower portion of the arm being slottedly formed, extended and offset for slidable engagement with the pin 9| on the pusher "H0. The pusher Ell is slidably mounted in a grooved bar 92 which is parallel with the shaft 12, normal to the plane of movement of the carriage 53, aligned altitudinally with the top egg row in the receptacle 52, and laterally spaced from said receptacle in alignment with egg columns of the carriage removed one step from the receptacle. This position is such that the pusher will react to eject the top egg of the first column upon initial horizontal movement of the carriage from the receptacle, first subsequent movements of the carriage under the influence of the cam 83 being upwards to successively expos the first column of eggs in the carriage to the pusher from the top downwards.

The pusher 10 is formed as a plurality of verti- F cally-axised, hinge-linked sections 93 whereof the end section adjacent to the carriage G3 terminates in a head 94 and the section at the other end of the assembly carries the pin 9i through which movement of the pusher is effected by os- The follower 89 is hinged to the sill $5 to cillation of the follower 89. The head 94 is pref erably cylindrical, axially aligned with the positioned compartment of the grille 5| and the egg therein, formed with a beveled end orifice therein opposed to and adapted to receive the small end of an egg, and of resilient material, such as rubher, frictionally reactive to secure gripping of the egg as it is pushed from the carriage into the selector chamber H with the large end of the egg leading in the direction of movement. While the pusher is held against fiexure within the groove in the bar 92, the hinged construction thereof permits horizontal deviation in the selector chamber to direct the egg through the passages therewithin.

The selector chamber H mounted in a vertical frame 95 is formed as a diverging chute having a horizontally-disposed floor 96 and sidewalls 91 perpendicular thereto, the entrance adjacent to the carriage being in alignment with the positioned compartment of the grille 5| registered with the pusher Iii and providing for sliding movement of the egg from said compartment into the selector along the axis of the compartmentpositioned egg until the egg is well within the selector. Beyond the initial egg-receiving zone of the selector El, the sidewalls diverge and the passageway therebetween is bifurcated by a partition 98 centrally upstanding longitudinally of the selector to provide two channels symmetrically positioned at the discharge 'end of the chamber. At the inner end of the partition 98 a fiap 5Q vertically upstands in a hinged mounting to swingably close as a gate against the sidewalls 9? at the points of their diversion to selectively and alternatively direct the eggs into the channels forming the discharge end of the chamber. Positioning of the flap 99 is efiected through engagement of the pusher 94 with a lever I00 on the return stroke of said pusher from the selector chamber through a mechanism about to be described. The lever illfl is hingedly mounted on pin l0! attached to the frame 95 at the underside of floor 96 and extends upward through a suitable slotted opening therein designed to permit desired oscillation of the lever 180. Another lever N32 is also hingedly mounted on the pin it and is normally held in opposite extension and alignment with the lever I00 by a spring 103 and by hub offsets E04 and H15 on the respective levers, the spring 103 permitting resilient oscillation of lever it without movement of lever 102 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 16, as when it is pushed downwards into the aforementioned slot in floor 256 upon the passage of an egg through the selector chamber 'H, while the offsets I M and H35 engage to cause coaction of the levers I06 and I02 under counterclockwise oscillation of the lever it, as is occasioned by the return movement of the pusher l0 and consequent engagement of the step I05 on the head 94 with the lever Hlil. Thus, while the lever I02 remains inactive except upon the return stroke of the pusher, it then oscillates to push slide NJ! in the direction of the egg movement in the selector chamber, the lever [82 being slottedly connected with slide 101. This slide I0! is divided into two portions, both mounted in block I08 depending from the floor 96, one portion including the spring I09 to resiliently hold the associated elements in normally retracted position, and the other portion being formed as a rack I 10 extending beyond the block I08 and operatively meshing with pinion Hi, the proportions of the pinions being'such that it is rotated 180 degrees with each reciprocal movement of the rack as actuated by the return stroke of the pusher I0. On the pinion shaft H2 a crank H3 "is pivotally mounted in normal position transversely of the longitudinal axis of the selector chamber 'II, as when movement through the pinion is terminated. The crank H3 is connected to the pinion by a ratchet I I I operable to rotate the crank 130 degrees when the rack is moved in the direction of egg travel and to immobilize said crank in the position of its last adjustment upon reversed rotation of the pinion as the rack is returned to its original position through expansion of the spring I09 after the pusher I releases the lever I00. A guide arm H5 is attached to the flap 9% which extends below the floor 96 through a suitable opening, and is suitably slotted to accommodate a pin I I 6 attached to the crank I I3, the slot extending sufliciently to permit full rotation of the crank H3, and the proportions of the crank and guide arm are such that 180 degree rotation of the crank, from one fixed position to the other, moves the flap from one sidewall 9'! to the other, thereby effecting alternate opening of the passageways through the selector as eggs are successively positioned therein. The egg when positioned at the discharge end of the selector chamber aligns itself between ridges I I7 of the floor of the selector chamber with the large end of the egg leading in the direction of movement and overhanging the end of the chambersufficiently to facilitate engagement in a carrier I I8 wherein the egg is transported away from the selector chamber to be broken and delivered to cooking elements for further processing.

The carrier I I8 is provided with two egg-receiving stalls I I9 arranged to accommodate eggs from either or both of the compartments of the selector chamber, the stalls being formed as hemispherically-shaped openings of the size of the large end of an egg by elements later described, the said elements depending from the carrier IIB to form a plane surface I20 parallel with the end of the selector chamber wherein the stalls are positioned to receive the overhanging large ends of eggs in the selector chamber by movement of the carrier to position the surface I20 against the end of the selector chamber. Grooves I2I are provided in the frame of the carrier in a spaced parallelism normal to the surface I25 and thereabove to slidably mount the carrier on track I22, the said tracks being supported between the frame 95 and a frame I23 distally therefrom. The tracks I22 are horizontally disposed normal to the plane of movement of the carriage 63, longitudinally with respect to the table 53 to effect corresponding carrier movement, and are symmetrically positioned above the selector chamber sufliciently to provide operative clearances adequate to permit the frame H6 and certain elements associated therewith to pass over the top of the selector chamber II and the surface IZI! to contact the end of the chamber as hereinbefore described.

The large end of an egg is resiliently held in either of the stalls H9 by a complementary cup I24 engaging the srrall end of the egg, the cup being cylindrically formed of rubber or other resilient material, axiallyaligned with the associated stall I15, and having a tapered recess therein for reception of the small end of A rod I25 is attached to each cup, axially and oppositely from the recess, to provide aslidable .and I44 (Figure 28), in their mounting in a bracket I26, the rod and-cup being normally extended from the bracket towards the associated stall by a spring I2'I, thereby providing a resilient adjustment of the cup I24 for various sizes of e s and a suitable pressure to hold the egg within the stall durin subsequent movements of the carrier. vided on the end of the rod I25 to limit its extended position. The bracket I26 isframed as an inverted T-shaped member, with the cross arm I29 thereof horizontally disposed to carry an individual cup for each stall, and with its stem ,hingedly depending from lugs I30 on pin I 3i, the lugs extending from the frame II8 sufficiently above the stalls I I9 to permit the bracket to be rotated upwards. The bracket I26 is provided with an arcuately formed extension I32 above the lugs I38 whereof the free end extends away from the carrier frame H8 atthelevelof the tracks I22 for contact with slide bar I33, also mounted on the tracks I22, as the carrier moves towards the selector chamber, the pressure of the extension against the slide bar I33 causing rotation of the bracket to lift the cups above the selector chamber II and eggs therein as the carrier is movedagainst the selector chamber. The bracket I26 is normally resiliently held in depending position by spring I34, and is again lowered as soon as the slide bar I33 is moved away from the carrier, thereby permitting either cup to engage an egg, such movement occurring after the carrier IIGis positioned relativeto the selector chamber i! as later described in detail. Suitable clearance grooves, I35 in the carrier and IE6 in the slide bar, are provided to permit the complete lifting of the bracket in the manner described. 7

Movement of'the carrier and the slidebar is accomplished by a cylinder cam I3-I mounted upon shaft I38 supported between frames and I 23, aligned parallel with the tracks I 2-2 and thereabove to position the cam immediately above the tracks with sumcient clearance for the carrier I I8 and the slide bar I33. A follower pin I59 upstanding from the carrier II8 is extended into a groove I49 in the face of the cam whereby rotation of the cam effects movement of the carrier in accordance with the path of the groove use. Likewise, a pin I4! upstanding from the slide bar I33 engages a groove I42 in the face-of the cam I37, whereby rotation of the cam eficcts movement of the slide bar in accordance with the path of the groove I42. Since this cam I 31 ef-' fects reciprocation of the carrier I I8 to move-eggs from the selector chamber to further processing, it is conveniently timed so that one revolution of the cam occurs in that interval necessary for the completion of an egg order. At the initiation of an egg order, an egg selectcr chamber, the carrier H8 and the slide bar I33 are positioned as illustrated in Figure6 with the follower pins I39 and MI at stations I43 respective grooves I 38 and I52. later described, is in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 29 and in the direction of the arrow A in the developed surface illustrated in Figure 28, the rotation of the cam moving the carrier in accordance with the sloping A head I28 is probeing present in the- Rotation of the cam, by means" 

